Summer bluesand pinks
by Roo1965
Summary: More haste less speed. Blair's errand goes slightly wrong. How will Jim take it? Fluff, humour. written June 2006


**Summer blues…and pinks...by Roo**

A/N: mild angst, fluff, humour.

Summary: more haste less speed….Blair's tired and an errand goes slightly wrong. How will Jim take it?

* * *

Blair POV

"Hot sun, summer in the city, back of my neck getting dirty pretty….." the radio played in the background as Blair wiped his forehead again- the Lovin' Spoonful had got it right.

Man, it was hot down here in the laundry room despite the late hour. He was hot and sweaty and…pissed off. Tired from the heat and tired from work and Jim's attitude of late. And too much coffee buzzed in the background keeping him awake and slightly jittery. No matter, it was so hot he wouldn't sleep well anyway.

The class he'd been covering for another TA out on vacation, had played up. Usually he could cope. Usually they came around with him coaxing them all the way. But not the last few days. Too hot to sit in a classroom. They all wanted to be outside sunbathing or swimming or ….anything but being in class. Sad thing was Blair felt like joining them. Anything to get away.

The drier rumbled to a finish and he popped open the door and started roughly folding clothes into the linen hamper at his feet. He didn't notice at first, thinking it was maybe a problem with the lighting down here or the fact that he was tired and hot and not focused on what he was doing. He stood straight and pressed his hands into his back and blew out a long breath.

Time out! He wiped his forehead again and looked back at the laundry pile. Was it him or was there a suspicious tinge to the whites washing? Oh, no. Not again. Frantically he scrabbled through the clothes in the drier searching for the coloured item that had infiltrated his wash with reckless abandon. How had he missed it….them? Great! Perfect end to the day. A new t shirt and a left over coloured sock turned out to be the culprits. All he could think of was that the sock was a left over refugee from a previous session, but the t shirt? Maybe he'd wadded it up and it got wrapped up in other stuff. Crap. It was late and he didn't have the energy to go out and try and get some of the wash rescue stuff and redo the load.

Maybe it would be okay and Jim might not be back tonight. He hoped so. The last time he'd done it Jim had been curt and asked how hard was it to sort the whites from the coloureds? That had been back in the early days and Jim was still rattled over the mess Larry the monkey had made of the apartment. Blair had felt like he was definitely outstaying his welcome.

But that was in the past and Jim was much mellower and Blair more assured of his place in Jim's workplace and his own at the University. Well, usually Jim was okay about stuff, Bair could get him to laugh in the end. However Jim and the gang in Major Crimes were stretched by a heavy caseload and an important trial. Jim was on call, but even after court was out for the day he still had work to do. And that had involved late night stakeouts and tailing suspects.

Fact was, Blair hadn't seen much of Jim at all. As he trudged upstairs and waited for the lift, his arms full of the linen bag, he wondered if Jim was okay. Not that he'd admit it to Blair if he was having problems. He figured that Simon would yell for him sooner or later.

He hoped to redo the laundry before Jim noticed or got mad. His mouth quirked up in a wry smile as he imagined the old 'clean underwear in case you get run over by a bus scenario'…and poor Jim having to reveal pink boxers and pink socks. Not that Jim would wear pink boxers or socks. And not that he wanted Jim to get run over by a bus either….but it made him grin as he reached the door to the apartment at last.

Jim's POV

It was late and he was tired. But the trial was almost over, another day should do it. One big headache almost over. Shoot, that just made his head throb again.

Cascade in a heat wave.

No one was prepared or used to it. Jim had been too busy to get out and buy a fan or many fans for the apartment. Blair had tried lots of places but they had all sold out and all of the stores were waiting for new orders to come in. Which meant that by the time they did the heat wave would probably be over. But no matter, come hell or high water he was buying some. Just in case. For next time.

Blair was covering for another TA as well as doing his own classes. That and the extra preparation had kept him away from the department. And although he always acted as if he tuned out Blair's ramblings, he did listen. It was his presence and voice that he missed during the day. He'd got used to having him around.

He thought back to how nit picking the defence attorney had been- questioning every detail of Jim's testimony. Making him explain everything over and over. And making him look like an idiot some of the time too. Of course that got Jim mad and he got more terse and annoyed as the deposition dragged on.

As he came through the door he could hear Blair in the kitchen.

"Hey, I'm sorry I didn't know how much longer you'd be. I've just eaten. I could make you something." Blair offered.

"Na," said Jim, "Too hot and bothered. We got any cold beers?"

"We sure do," and Blair opened the fridge and passed one to him. "You sure about food?"

"I said no!" snapped Jim as he sat on the couch with his beer. Seeing the hurt look flash across Blair's face he realised he had to say something.

"Chief…I'm sorry. I know you're trying to help. I'm just too hot and tired for anything right now. Been either waiting outside court or tied up in knots in court most of the day. And the damn paperwork…." Jim sighed.

"Jim, sorry you've had a crappy day too."

"Yeah. Just one more tiny little thing and I think I'm gonna snap, go wacko or torture squirrels or something."

"Um, really?" asked Blair quietly.

"Really."

"Oh."

"Except that I think maybe I don't have the energy …" mused Jim after a moment's silence.

"Well, ah, that's good." Blair agreed.

"Something wrong Sandburg?"

"No, no why should there be! Why squirrels Jim?"

"Huh? Oh. Don't ask. First thing that came into my head."

"You're really too tired to go wacko…?"

"Oh yeah."

"Good. Just checking."

Jim cracked open an eye and looked at Blair.

"What's up Chief?"

"I hope you have some more clothes upstairs because I need to redo the other pile" Blair said all in a rush.

"Why, what's happened?"

"I'm sorry. I don't know how I missed it. It got into the wash and…"

"Chief…"

"I said I was sorry. I'll get some of that stuff..."

"_Chief!_"

"It's not that bad!"

"What colour did we end up with?" asked Jim calmly.

"Pink."

Jim screwed his face up and sighed. Then to Blair's surprise he reached in his pockets for something.

"Take it easy Junior. I'm not going to handcuff you!" he said as he lightly tossed a packet to Blair. Blair opened the bag.

"But? How could you possibly know?!" Blair asked in amazement as he drew out a packet of Rescue Wash. He stared at it as Jim began to smile.

"I didn't."

"Then…?" Blair continued to look confused and then Jim could see him trying to work it out. He waited.

"You mean..?" Blair asked.

"Yup. The washing I did a few days ago went blue!"

Both of them started to laugh.

"We're hopeless!"

"Oh I wouldn't say we're that bad, Chief. The stuff's clean enough. Just not white that's all! I've put up with far worse when I was in the army and I guess your whites didn't always get white on your travels or on digs either Blair."

"No, you're right. But all the same we'll be happier when everything's back as it's supposed to be." replied Blair still chuckling.

"I couldn't agree more." And the way he said it, he meant more than the tinged washing. He wanted Blair back working with him, by his side.

END


End file.
